A few hours later, in front of the zoo
Zack and Jenna had taken the afternoon off and had managed to arrive first. It had required some work from their mother, but 'Calvin' had finally caved. The two waited for the others to arrive and finally, they saw the van pull up. Anna got out and put the girls on the ground, followed by Patrick. The three sisters ran off to see Zack and Jenna. Shelby was first as she was picked up by Zack. Riley ended up in Jenna's arms, as did Emily.
"You guys excited?" asked Jenna, "You get to see the monkeys!" The girls cheered loudly as they were joined by the rest of the group.
"We're all here, so let's go!" said Jack. They headed inside and split into two groups. Rachel, Anna, Sarah and the kids went to see the monkeys while the others decided on the elephants. They figured it would be easier that way, since they didn't know how long the kids would want to stay with the monkeys, so the others went on their side, to see the rest of the animals.
The kids and the three women walked through the zoo, looking quickly at animals as they passed them. Soon, Sarah spotted the monkey house. She pointed it out and the kids ran off to see. "Wait for us, guys," called Anna as they kept walking. About five feet from the entrance, they heard four distinct little screams, three of which were relatively identical. The women looked to each other for a second before running in.
When they reached the main room, they barely had the time to see what was happening. Four men were heading to a back exit, each holding one of the children, holding their hands over their mouths so they wouldn't scream again. They kept on attempting to free themselves from the men's grips, to no avail. The women went to stop them before they felt something plant itself in their backs and fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably at the electricity flowing through them.
The men with the children and the shooters made their way out, the children screaming against their restraints at the sight of their mothers and/or aunts falling. The women were barely conscious enough to see what was happening anymore. It took several minutes before they passed out and the shaking subsided.
Elsewhere in the zoo, the rest of the group made their way through the different areas and eventually found themselves in front of the monkey house. They walked in normally. Jack was in front and, seeing his wife on the floor he rushed to her side, picking her up into his arms. "ANNA!" he called. She was unconscious. The others were in soon as well and were speechless at the sight of the three of them on the ground.
Ricky went to his wife, while Zack went to his aunt. They called their names, attempting to wake them up. Sarah was the first to make a noise. She was extremely weak, but she seemed relatively coherent.
"What happened here? Where are the kids?" asked Jack, frantically. Sarah tried to talk but found she couldn't. So instead, she pointed to the open door ahead. Zack turned to Steve.
"Watch her. Jenna, come on," he said to his sister. She didn't have to be told twice.
The two ran out of the house. "You go right, I go left," instructed Zack.
"Right," said Jenna. The two went their separate way, not really caring that they may have seemed suspicious. The situation was urgent and all that mattered for now was to get the children back. They didn't know who was responsible. But if that person went as far as shocking the women to take the children, they knew they were there for a reason.
They covered the whole zoo in minutes. Zack went through the aquatic animals sections, the elephants, the gorillas... Jenna passed the giraffes, the zebras, the lions... No trace at all of Shelby, Riley, Emily or Patrick. They rejoined in front of the monkey house.
"Nothing?" asked Zack.
"No. Where are they? What do we do?" said Jenna, feeling like she was on the verge of tears.
"Calm down, okay? We'll find them."
They went back into the house. All but Sarah, Anna and Rachel looked up at them. "We couldn't find them. We went through the entire place." The others looked exasperated.
"Who could have taken them?" asked Jenna. Sarah made a noise then. Zack bent down and looked into her eyes.
"Do you know who took them?"
She attempted to point somewhere, even though her arms felt very heavy. "B... back..." she managed to mumble, although it was very low and they hardly heard it. They looked to each other, confused. "B... back," she repeated, still pointing behind her. Steve lifted her up a little and looked on her back.
"Oh my God!" he said.
"What?" asked the others. He pulled something out of her back, which caused her to wince. He brought it into the light and they saw. Immediately, they checked Anna and Rachel. Sure enough, there were the things planted in them as well.
"This can't be," whispered Jenna.
"They're not in the zoo anymore, that's for sure. And staying here won't do us any good. Let's get home," instructed Zack. They carried the women out, trying to keep it as discreet as possible.
Zack and Jenna had taken the afternoon off and had managed to arrive first. It had required some work from their mother, but 'Calvin' had finally caved. The two waited for the others to arrive and finally, they saw the van pull up. Anna got out and put the girls on the ground, followed by Patrick. The three sisters ran off to see Zack and Jenna. Shelby was first as she was picked up by Zack. Riley ended up in Jenna's arms, as did Emily.
"You guys excited?" asked Jenna, "You get to see the monkeys!" The girls cheered loudly as they were joined by the rest of the group.
"We're all here, so let's go!" said Jack. They headed inside and split into two groups. Rachel, Anna, Sarah and the kids went to see the monkeys while the others decided on the elephants. They figured it would be easier that way, since they didn't know how long the kids would want to stay with the monkeys, so the others went on their side, to see the rest of the animals.
The kids and the three women walked through the zoo, looking quickly at animals as they passed them. Soon, Sarah spotted the monkey house. She pointed it out and the kids ran off to see. "Wait for us, guys," called Anna as they kept walking. About five feet from the entrance, they heard four distinct little screams, three of which were relatively identical. The women looked to each other for a second before running in.
When they reached the main room, they barely had the time to see what was happening. Four men were heading to a back exit, each holding one of the children, holding their hands over their mouths so they wouldn't scream again. They kept on attempting to free themselves from the men's grips, to no avail. The women went to stop them before they felt something plant itself in their backs and fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably at the electricity flowing through them.
The men with the children and the shooters made their way out, the children screaming against their restraints at the sight of their mothers and/or aunts falling. The women were barely conscious enough to see what was happening anymore. It took several minutes before they passed out and the shaking subsided.
Elsewhere in the zoo, the rest of the group made their way through the different areas and eventually found themselves in front of the monkey house. They walked in normally. Jack was in front and, seeing his wife on the floor he rushed to her side, picking her up into his arms. "ANNA!" he called. She was unconscious. The others were in soon as well and were speechless at the sight of the three of them on the ground.
Ricky went to his wife, while Zack went to his aunt. They called their names, attempting to wake them up. Sarah was the first to make a noise. She was extremely weak, but she seemed relatively coherent.
"What happened here? Where are the kids?" asked Jack, frantically. Sarah tried to talk but found she couldn't. So instead, she pointed to the open door ahead. Zack turned to Steve.
"Watch her. Jenna, come on," he said to his sister. She didn't have to be told twice.
The two ran out of the house. "You go right, I go left," instructed Zack.
"Right," said Jenna. The two went their separate way, not really caring that they may have seemed suspicious. The situation was urgent and all that mattered for now was to get the children back. They didn't know who was responsible. But if that person went as far as shocking the women to take the children, they knew they were there for a reason.
They covered the whole zoo in minutes. Zack went through the aquatic animals sections, the elephants, the gorillas... Jenna passed the giraffes, the zebras, the lions... No trace at all of Shelby, Riley, Emily or Patrick. They rejoined in front of the monkey house.
"Nothing?" asked Zack.
"No. Where are they? What do we do?" said Jenna, feeling like she was on the verge of tears.
"Calm down, okay? We'll find them."
They went back into the house. All but Sarah, Anna and Rachel looked up at them. "We couldn't find them. We went through the entire place." The others looked exasperated.
"Who could have taken them?" asked Jenna. Sarah made a noise then. Zack bent down and looked into her eyes.
"Do you know who took them?"
She attempted to point somewhere, even though her arms felt very heavy. "B... back..." she managed to mumble, although it was very low and they hardly heard it. They looked to each other, confused. "B... back," she repeated, still pointing behind her. Steve lifted her up a little and looked on her back.
"Oh my God!" he said.
"What?" asked the others. He pulled something out of her back, which caused her to wince. He brought it into the light and they saw. Immediately, they checked Anna and Rachel. Sure enough, there were the things planted in them as well.
"This can't be," whispered Jenna.
"They're not in the zoo anymore, that's for sure. And staying here won't do us any good. Let's get home," instructed Zack. They carried the women out, trying to keep it as discreet as possible.